Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 174-197).

This research report documented in this thesis focused mainly on the participation of grade 9 girls during practical work in the topic of ‘Electricity’ in Physical Science lessons at Mwatya (pseudonym) Junior Secondary School in Ohangwena region of Namibia. The study was triggered by the lack of participation of girls during practical work. Underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, the study took the form of a qualitative case study and my unit of analysis was girls’ participation during practical work on electricity in particular. The perceptions and experiences of girls about practical work in Physical Science were investigated using the administered questionnaires. The participation of girls during practical work was further explored using interviews (semi-structured and focus group interviews) and observations of selected girls. A thematic approach to data analysis was adopted. The qualitative data from the audio and video transcripts were analysed according to the categories developed and themes that emerged from the analysis process. The categories developed for presenting the data are: teaching methods preferred by girls; importance and roles of practical activities; things that girls enjoy during practical activities; problems experienced by girls during practical activities; preference for doing practical work in groups or as an individual task; if practical work given in groups should the sex of learners be considered or not; activities preferred by girls when they are in single sex and in mixed sex groups; factors that enable girls to participate; and factors that prevent girls from participating. The study found that girls’ perceptions about practical work affect their participation during practical work in the topic of Electricity. It also revealed different factors that contribute to either good or poor participation of girls, namely, factors such as mixed-sex group-work, limited science prior experience (knowledge), unequal treatment from teachers during lessons and home environment were identified as contributing to poor participation. Girls however suggested some factors that they think could enable them to participate freely and actively during practical work. In view of these findings, this study recommends that teacher training institutions should train teachers to plan practical work in a gender sensitive manner. Schools should be provided with enough materials as sharing materials can contribute to poor participation of girls during practical work especially when they are in mixed groups with boys. There is a need for science teachers to assess the learning taking place during practical work and, finally, textbook suppliers should be monitored in a way that enables the supply of gender sensitive printed materials.

Educational equality -- Composition studies -- Lack of feminist articles in professional journals of composition/writing.

Using a survey and case study formats, this study focused on the level of understanding and implementation of Title IX relating to Texas public school students. The survey focused on the degrees of principal understanding and the compliance with the statute. Additional areas of study analyzed the impact of such factors as principal gender and school level on understanding and implementation. The case study examined the degrees of implementation for a district that had experienced civil rights action and one that had not.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Background: Gender bias in the Physical Sciences education favours male learners to the disadvantages of female learners, bringing along sex discrimination. Physical Sciences Curriculum reinforces masculinity, resulting in few females enrolling for science-related subjects. Male learners outperform female learners in Physical Sciences. Also, sex discrimination due to gender bias is visible in the workforce in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Therefore, the purpose of this study was aimed at exploring gender biased texts in the Physical Sciences CAPS document and also its impact on Grade 12 female learners. Method: A qualitative exploratory phenomenological study design was conducted. In my study, participants were Physical Sciences Grade 12 female learners and their teachers. The total number of participants was 12 (8 female learners and 4 teachers) and the sample depended on data saturation. Also, data were collected using document review (Physical Sciences Curriculum and AssessmentPolicy Statements document and prescribed textbook), classroom observation and interviews with learners and teachers. One-on-one interviews were conducted with participants using interview guides for both teachers and learners. Data collected from interviews were analysed using thematic 8 steps of Tesch’s inductive and descriptive open coding technique. Results: The results from the document review showed the existence of gender bias in the Physical Sciences textbooks and Curriculum and AssessmentPolicy Statement document. Classroom observation showed that male learners were more interested and participated actively in the Physical Sciences lesson as compared to female learners. Both teachers and learners are aware of the existence of gender biased texts in Physical Sciences education. Further, this impacts negatively towards female learners leading to a bad attitude towards sciences and subsequently, to poor performance as compared to male learners. Female learners believe that they were to perform better in Physical Sciences if they were of the male gender. Conclusion: The existence of gender biased texts in the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements document and prescribed textbooks reinforce masculinity in the field. There is a need to review the Physical Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement document and prescribed textbooks to ensure inclusivity, eliminate sex discrimination and also to achieve balance in the workforce in the science field. Key concepts Physical Sciences; Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements; Female learner; Gender Biased texts; Performance; Inclusive education

Federal employment law designed to assure equal employment opportunity for faculty has only been applicable to higher education since 1972. Prior to 1972, the higher education world, moreover, was immune from the most comprehensive federal employment law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, Title VII was amended in 1972 to include education institutions. Ever since the protection of the civil rights law was extended to higher education, faculty employment discrimination litigation has increased. The reality of this phenomenal growth in litigation is clear, the potential for judicial intervention in academic decision making is undeniable, and reliance on the judicial process is increasingly becoming common. Thus, no institution of higher education may consider itself immune from the possibilities of litigation, nor immune from the decisions handed down by the courts. The main focus of this study was a legal one, which necessitated a heavy concentration upon the historical and current state of employment discrimination law, specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The study was conducted by using a combination of legislative analysis and legal research methods. The legal research methods used in this study included the same problem-solving processes as other traditional research methods: (1) collecting data; (2) analysis; and (3) interpretation. The main purpose of this study was to examine, analyze, and summarize legislative history and case law relevant to Title VII, and sex discrimination in higher education. In summary, although Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin, the issues surrounding women faculty and sex discrimination is probably the fastest growing area of litigation for administrators on the university campus. Therefore, this study was an attempt to examine the employment discrimination issues and developments pertaining to sex discrimination only. College and university administrators may find this study useful for: (1) examining Title VII, and its amendments; (2) examining sex discrimination case law; and (3) utilizing the research for developing procedures, policies and guidelines to minimize potential lawsuits. / Ed. D.

This exploratory study investigated the crucial role society and individual college cultures played in selecting and channeling women from male-dominated to female-dominated majors. Since academic major is linked to the kind of vocation a person pursues, scarcity of women in certain majors constitutes an obstacle to opportunity in the work force. Literature was used to develop questions for interview protocol to identify reasons for college women's decision to leave a male-dominated major and enter a female-dominated major. The interviews provided self-report information from college women transfers from the College of Engineering, College of Business, and College of Architecture to the College of Human Resources and revealed six factors that explained their decisions. These factors were classroom environment, faculty behaviors, peer relations, curriculum content, performance pressures, and role expectations. These factors were interdependent though each played a significant role in explaining the women's decisions. Additionally, women's decision to leave a male-dominated major and enter a female-dominated major was a function of affirmation of self and was derived from the six environmental factors. The degree of interaction congruence between the student and each of these factors affected affirmation of self and how women evaluated and responded to their environment. Lastly, applications for educational practitioners were offered and recommendations for further research were suggested. / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The study examined perceptions of female educators at a primary school in Durban, with regard to issues of gender equality. The literature review revealed that women educators have faced great injustices regarding past educational policies (before 1994) and the nature of gender biased practices both in society and within the school systems. The study highlights some of the main barriers, both intrinsic and extrinsic, faced by women teachers which prevented their upward mobility in the profession, thus determining their perceptions of their present career status. It also focuses on strategies that women educators perceived in helping to advance in their career as a teacher thereby achieving satisfaction. The research consisted of a quantitative phase which included the use of self-completion questionnaires to determine the perceptions of the female educators to their present career status. The data collected was used to develop strategies women teachers can use to advance their careers. The findings revealed that there were two groups of teachers each with different set of perceptions. The younger generation of teachers did not experience intrinsic barriers and displayed more satisfied perceptions of their career. The older generation of teachers seemed less satisfied with their present career status. Both, however agreed that organizational constraints (extrinsic barriers) affected their advancement in the profession. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

M.Ed. / In a country which has just acquired its democracy, education for all citizens is of primary concern. The illiteracy rate in South Africa is high, especially in the rural areas of the country. During this time when South Africa finds itself in a period of transition and of prioritizing items on its agenda, education in general and in particular education of those who had little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. While the government has targeted illiteracy as a major issue, other issues such as gender make the illiteracy situation even more complex, especially in the rural areas where the traditional tenets of the communities are still observed. The aim of this study is to explore the role gender plays in the involvement of adult learners in literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga Province, in order to determine the possible implications for literacy programmes in other similar rural areas of South Africa. In order to achieve this aim, an interpretive design is applied and qualitative methods of data—collection are utilized. A literature study which consists of the exploration of the field of Adult Basic Education and gender in global education, with special reference to South African rural areas in particular, forms the theoretical background of the empirical research. Empirical data was obtained through observations and interviews and processed and analyzed by unitizing, categorizing and patterning, resulting in the findings of the research. Lastly, findings of this investigation are discussed in the light of relevant theory. The following are the main research findings: Gender does play a role in the involvement of learners in adult literacy programmes in the rural Mapulaneng area of Mpumalanga. There are learning needs that are specific to females but no particular needs specific to males. However, some needs are not gender—related and are common to both females and males. The main implications of the findings are: Adult literacy classes should be conducted during the evening, in order to accommodate workers, mostly men. There is a need for teacher training of both female and male literacy teachers. Some of the gender—related reasons for non—involvement of adult learners, particularly those that pertain to the dominance of males, would be difficult to address as they are deeply rooted in culture. In order to address the needs of male and female adult learners, a holistic approach should be applied. A holistic approach entails: not only teaching literacy but addressing other needs of the learners; not only addressing the expressed needs of learners (male and female), but also addressing the needs that they are not aware that they have.